How the Simple Sales Blueprint Completely Changed my Photography Business
If you are looking into the Simple Sales System and you’re unsure if it works– short answer is yes! But if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of how it completely changed my photography business, continue on. This post does contain affiliate links but I’m only telling you about this amazing course because I do believe in it!
My Business Backstory
A couple years ago I was in a completely different place in my business than I am today! Back in 2018 I had just moved my business up to the Seattle area and was about to have my first baby girl. Needless to say, focusing on my business was put on the backburner as I navigated a new world of parenthood and a completely unfamiliar state!
In order to focus on being a mom and settle in, I took most of 2018 off and just let what come to me be enough. I hardly worked on marketing or portraits and it was enough, but it was only enough because I had the grace of not paying a rent or mortgage because we lived with my parents at the time!
Fast-forward to 2022 and I now had two little girls who brought me so much joy– but that photography piece of me was lacking. I was still taking on portraits and helping second shoot weddings when asked, but I was far from pouring into my business, my marketing, my education and feeling like my business was a shell of what it was.
My journey to rebrand, refocus and take the steering wheel back felt like a long road that year! I was on fire again to try so many new things – I wanted to focus on motherhood sessions, change my style of editing, start helping clients with wardrobe, completely changed my workflow and approach to family shoots, AND completely redid my website.
By the end of the year, I was proud of myself and also exhausted! And come January, looking at my total revenue from the year from all the hard work felt like a slap in the face. It was a pathetic sum of money for all the work I had done.
I knew if I was going to be giving up time away from my family, it was going to have to be for a living wage so something needed to change!
When I Needed to Reinvest in my Business
Come 2023, I was ready for another change– this time in my pricing! I had experimented with increasing my pricing the previous year from $375 to $575 for an hour session and included 30 downloads (but did offer full gallery upgrades that people rarely opted for)! This seemed to fit in mid-upper range for photographers in my area and without running my numbers, I just went with it.
I had been listening to the This Can’t Be That Hard podcast from the brilliant Annemie Tonkon for a few months by then and had the Simple Sales Blueprint course in the back of my mind for a while. I hesitated to pull the trigger on a $997 investment! It was the most I’d ever spent on my business and mind you, this was January so bookings were very low. But after research, reading through the free Facebook group and other people’s testimonials, I knew I’d regret not trying!
It’s been such a game changer ever since!
What is The Simple Sales Blueprint Course?
So let’s get to the nuts and bolts of what the Simple Sales Blueprint even is. While I’ll do my best to give all the highlights of this wonderful course, you’ll want to listen to this special mini-podcast series created just for explaining this revolutionary system.
In short, it’s like the perfect combination of an all-inclusive pricing model that focuses on providing digitals but mixed with the beauty of IPS (in person sales) with emphasis on printed products and profitability!
This is a photography pricing course all about running your CODB (cost of doing business) and figuring out what you truly need to charge in order to make your dream salary. Believe me, it’s so much more comprehensive than just a fancy calculator (although there is one in this course that is actually AMAZING); it’s a course made to help you level-up your client experience, give you the tools to make more money per session, and free up time in your life!
Have you ever just looked around at other photographer’s prices and tried to stay within that range? Or worse, lowered your prices to compete?
Do you have a gallery system that allows you to sell print products and nobody even bothers?
Do you feel like you’re working all the time, booking low-cost shoots and simply burning yourself out while your family gets the short end of the stick?
If any of these resonate, this course is made for you! It taught me how to really dive into what my numbers were by calculating my expenses and entering my desired income. But it doesn’t stop there, with this course, it will break down exactly what you need to be charging for your sessions plus offering 3 collections priced accordingly.
I walked away with so much confidence in my pricing, even though it felt scary to increase my prices, I knew it’s what I needed to do to pay myself enough to contribute to my family’s income. It became so much less emotional for me to talk about my pricing and more matter of fact because I know I didn’t just make up what sounded good!
Furthermore, the course walks you through how to sell print products the easy way– seriously, as simple as including print credit into all your collections to ensure every client walks away with a tangible keepsake! You’ll be walked through step-by-step how to price your products so you aren’t making less than your minimum sales average. And often people will spend over their print credit to get the products they love.
Plus you get bonuses like multiple email templates from inquiry to follow-ups to post gallery delivery and a whole discovery phone call script to help you book those leads!
Almost Ready for Launch…
By the time I got through the course, which took me about 3 dedicated weeks to go through the course and then set up my workflow of emails and sales material, I felt like I was in a bad spot in my business. The winter was dry as a bone that year and I worried I wouldn’t make the money back that I had invested!
By March, I was ready to officially change my pricing and yet I felt invisible to the internet (That’s a different story for a different day). It felt like crickets for months and I was actually SERIOUSLY considering having to close up shop after over a decade of photography. I didn’t know what to do! I almost opened a daycare in my home just so I could make money and still be home with my kids!
I prayed hard, guys. And I actually felt like God was telling me “Be still. Stop striving” because I was just doing TOO much and trying SO hard. So I had peace and I waited. And no joke, just a couple days later, I finally got a lead. She was willing to get on a discovery call with me and booked me that same day! I was more than astonished.
I had doubled my pricing since taking the Simple Sales course and was convinced no one would book me. And not only did she book me, she tipped me at the shoot, which never happens, and bought my HIGHEST collection! I had never made money like that from one portrait session– ever! It was the perfect first client coming out of a dry season and I knew I was going to be ok.
How to Prepare for Pricing Changes
While I 100% believe in the Simple Sales System, I will advise to have a strategy in place before drastically changing any pricing. Some people who go through the course don’t have to make such major adjustments, but I found that to pay myself a livable salary, session prices definitely increased!
So here are my tips before launch:
Consider giving your previous clients a deal for booking their first Simple Sales shoot with you. Maybe it’s a loyal client appreciation gift that will incentivize them to book and they won’t worry as much about the new pricing.
You can offer a limited time special where past clients can book at your old pricing before it goes up, which will put a fire under them to book as well!
Have a back pocket offer in mind that you don’t advertise, but will offer if someone new is unsure if they can budget for your pricing. Only offer this if you really need the extra cash flow. Some money is better than a $0 sale!
Think about changing pricing during a busier season. So many people change pricing at the beginning of the year and then may blame the lack of bookings on their new prices, but in reality, it’s just a slow season!
So What Results Did I Get from the Course?
I averaged $800 more in sales every session, with the majority of my clients buying my top collection! By the end of the year I had increased my total salary by nearly 30% and I was able to take on about half the clients! This meant my focus could be directed on other parts of my business and allowed me more time with my family!
This was huge for me!
I have been so excited about how this has leveled-up my business. Not only is it benefitting me, but I truly believe it has elevated my client experience. With the automation tools used within this system, I am providing more value and education to my clients each step of the way. I want them to feel taken care of and I believe this system has helped me achieve that!
Not to mention, I really feel like I’m serving my clients by ensuring they all walk away with keepsakes and heirlooms to pass down. With the print credit included, all my clients are guaranteed to print their photos and have tangible products– not just photos that get lost on their phone or computer!
This is my gift to busy parents everywhere who always think they’ll get to printing those photos “one day”!
It’s only been a year so far and I’m excited to see where this year will take me!
I’m gonna say it— you NEED this course!
Looking for a better paycheck and fewer hours per client? Done.
Hoping to spend more time with your family and take on fewer shoots? Done.
Wishing you could sell framed artwork to create a lasting impression on your clients? Done
It’s worth the investment to INVEST in your business because this could actually be life changing. It sounds dramatic, but I’m not kidding! And if you’re hesitant, there is even a payment plan offered.
Check out all the course has to offer here. You can thank me later!